May 9 Tragedy Revisited

By Sajjad Shaukat

In commemoration of the first “anniversary” of the violence against military installations throughout the country, the coalition the government is marking May 9 as “black day”.

Hinting toward Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in one way or the other, in their messages, President Asif Ali Zardari leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vowed that the nation would never again witness such turmoil and unrest. They reiterated the commitment to eradicating forces that threaten peace of country. Both the leaders expressed pride in Pakistan’s Armed Forces, stating that 9th May 2023, will always be remembered as a dark day in Pakistan’s history when a politically instigated mob ransacked the country, damaging public property and military installations. They stated that the unfortunate incidents severely tarnished the country’s image, which only served the interests of Pakistan’s enemies. They emphasised that those responsible for the May 9 violence should be held accountable according to the law.

Premier Shehbaz Sharif termed the mob attacks as an attempt to challenge the writ of the state, undermine the rule of law and weaken the institutions, and acknowledged that the scars of that day still linger in the collective memory of the nation.

Leaders of the other political and religious parties—even Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has been eagerly voicing for the Imran Khan’s PTI political rights these days, distanced himself from the May 9 riots.

Meanwhile, rallies and demonstrations are being held by various political and religious entities, including members of civil society on May 9, 2024, condemning attacks on the military installations, showing solidarity with the armed forces.

In fact, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and Chairman of the main opposition party PTI, Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, last year by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in relation to the corruption involving the Al-Qadir University Trust.

After the arrest of Khan, violent protests erupted across the country, as PTI supporters took to the streets. Reportedly, at least 10 people, including police men were killed all over the country, as the result of clashes between police and protesters. Sources suggest that in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Islamabad, both sides fired at each other. At some places personnel of the Rangers were also targeted.

In various cities, the PTI followers damaged the civil and military installations on a large scale, which also include the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar, where, the protesters vandalised the building, tortured the staff including women and engaged in arson—office of the election commission in K-P, Police stations in Lahore and other towns, while many vehicles were set to ablaze.

In the cantonment areas, the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore also known as Jinnah House was ransacked and set to fire by a large number of PTI workers. In Rawalpindi, PTI supporters pelted stones on the gate of army’s General Headquarters, damaged army martyrs’ monuments and memorials. In cant areas, houses and offices of the army were also targeted.

Meanwhile, in an alleged audio-leak, PTI leader and Dr Yasmin Rashid’s conversation of instructing the workers to go to the Corps Commander House had also come to light.

However, Almost all the leaders of the then coalition government as well as PM Minister Shehbaz, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Chairman of the PPP, federal ministers and several members of the civil society strongly condemned the PTI followers’ violent assaults at civil and military installations as undemocratic and unconstitutional move, saying these have shown fascist approach of the PTI. They also reminded the sacrifices of the armed forces, especially for maintaining the internal and external security of the country.

In this regard, in a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on May 10, 2023 termed May 9 as a dark day in national history. The statement elaborated that immediately after the PTI chief’s arrest, there were organised attacks on army installations and anti-army slogans were raised—“One group wearing a political cloak, driven by its lust for power, has accomplished what the eternal enemies of the country could not do in 75 years.”

The ISPR statement added:  “Without caring about its own reputation, the army showed extreme patience, tolerance and restraint in the wider interest of the country. Army’s mature response thwarted this conspiracy…We are well aware that behind this are directives of some evil leadership of the party (PTI). There was complete pre-planning…evil elements (PTI workers mobs) vigorously stirred up public sentiments to fulfill their limited and selfish goals…action against all miscreants would be taken according to law”.

During his visit at Corps Headquarters Peshawar on May 13, 2023, Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir stated: “We shall continue with our endeavors of peace and stability and there will be no room for spoilers of the process…The Armed Forces will not tolerate any further attempt of violating the sanctity and security of its installations or vandalism and resolved to bring to justice all the planners, abetters, instigators and executors of vandalism on the Black Day of 9th May.” He highlighted by saying: “A concerted effort is being made maliciously by inimical elements to target the Armed Forces…such nefarious attempts will be foiled through the support of people of Pakistan.”

In this respect, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Syed Asim Munir presided over Special Corps Commanders Conference held at GHQ on May 15, 2023. Army top brass “expressed anguish over well-coordinated attacks on military installations—observed the situation created to achieve vested political interests—decided that those involved in attacks on military installations, personnel and equipment during violence created on May 9, would be tried under relevant laws of Pakistan Army, including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act”, said a press release issued by the ISPR. Recently, he again reiterated his statements.

In a statement issued by the ISPR on May 9, 2024 clarified that the Pakistan Army said that there will be no compromise with the “planners, facilitators and executors of the May 9 tragedy and neither would they be allowed to “hoodwink the law of the land…the events were a futile attempt” to bring about a misplaced and shortsighted revolution in the country.

Nevertheless, on May 9 and May 10, the country faced multiple losses of various kinds—billions of rupees due to the PTI protests—and the cost imposed by the ban on mobile data, as the shift to a digital economy received a huge shock. The entire nation has been left to bear the brunt of the cost of the protests, while Pakistan is already facing multi-faceted crises and challenges like corruption, inflation, soaring prices of commodities, energy-shortage, lack of investment, upsurge of the US dollar, increase in oil prices, load shedding inability of the importer to open Letters of Credit (LC) owing to lack of dollars etc.

It mentionable that after his removal from power through vote of no confidence, addressing public rallies in various cities ex-PM Khan almost repeated his previous statements. Criticising his rival politicians, while targeting the Pakistan Army and its army chief, using terms ‘establishment’ or ‘neutrals’, Khan asked his followers to determine whether his ouster from power was an“interference” or a “conspiracy”. Targeting the US, he remarked: “A major international conspiracy was carried out against his government and this country…I cannot allow our country to become a slave to anyone”. But, Washington has repeatedly denied his allegations.

At this critical hour, Pakistan’s armed forces have been coping with internal and external challenges of grave nature in order to maintain the security of the country. In one way or the other, Indian fanatic rulers are also escalating tensions with Pakistan. In this context, the country is facing the challenge of hybrid war.

Some internal entities, particularly PTI have been distorting Army’s image in such a way that general masses should forget the sacrifices and services of the armed forces. 

Recall armed forces’ innumerable services and sacrifices particularly of Army such as the resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons during the Swat and Malakand military operations, counter-insurgency operations and restoration of law and order on many occasions—during catastrophic periods—floods, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic, locusts’ attacks etc.—also giving matching response to Indian shelling at the Line of Control and to stop infiltration of terrorists inside Pakistan from Afghanistan.

Now, more than four and half months have passed. But, Indian fanatic government led by the extremist Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued military lockdown in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Modi-led regime unilaterally abrogated the special status of the IIOJK on August 5, 2019 when Indian Parliament revoked articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution. The act split the IIOJK into two territories to be ruled directly by New Delhi. The purpose was to turn Muslim majority into minority.

Former Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa and Chief of Army Gen. Syed Asim Munir have frequently pointed out that Pakistan’s armed forces are fully ready to meet any Indian prospective aggression.

Internally, Pakistan’s armed forces and country’s primarily intelligence agency ISI have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists. Peace has been restored in the Balochistan province and Karachi, including other vulnerable regions. 

Despite it, in the recent past, terrorist attacks especially in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan which is central point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) show that the CIA-led Indian RAW want to damage the CPEC project which is part of China’s One Road (OBOR) or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as the US and India have already opposed this project.

Pakistan Army has not only been successful in uprooting the anti-state and separatist elements, but also contributed a lot in socio-economic development of Balochistan besides giving military training to the youth, while protecting mega-projects and the CPEC staff.

When more than 250 children died of malnutrition and diseases in 2019 in Thar region of Sindh, Pakistan Army established a free medical camp in Tharparkar. Army doctors and paramedics provided essential medical treatment to over 1,800 patients.

Since 1984, Pakistan’s military is fighting against the Indian forces in the Siachen Glacier region despite the unfavorable weather conditions.

In these various events, many soldiers of the armed forces, especially Army have been martyred.

It is noteworthy that before the start of the military operation Zarb-e-Azb, terrorists had been, primarily, waging a war against the citizens of Pakistan. 200 million people of the country had been facing various kinds of terrorism related assaults, being conducted by the AI-Qaeda, the Islamic State group (Also known as Daesh, ISIS and ISIL), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant outfits.

But, unlike other countries’ war against terrorism, including the US-led Western countries’ war against these non-state actors, Pakistan’s armed forces displayed unbelievable progress through the military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad against the militants in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) and other vulnerable regions, and afterwards extended to other tribal areas, has almost, successfully, achieved their objectives.

Analysts agree that in the post-election scenario, Pakistan’s multiple crises and challenges would increase and the stakes for the new coalition government would be enormously high. The most immediate task for the government would be to negotiate a new bailout agreement with the IMF, which has been done, and the country has to seek a new loan of at least of $6 billion to repay billions in debt due this year to avoid a default and to stabilise the economy.

In the recent election, Nawaz Sharif’s party PML-N gained a simple majority, while the leadership of PTI party of jailed former PM Imran Khan claims that the election results had been changed to divest the party of its two-thirds majority in the parliament—the independent winners linked to Khan have emerged as the largest group in the lower house.

With the support of other parties, particularly PPP, Shehbaz Sharif secured a comfortable win over the Sunni Ittehad Council-the PTI—which also choosed PTI leader Omar Ayub as the opposition leader. The elected National Assembly met for the first time with lawmakers taking oaths amid protests on the floor of the house by supporters of the Sunni Ittehad Council-PTI. Similar practice continued in the provincial assemblies on various occasions.

PML-N, PPP and some other political parties also asked the PTI for cooperation so as to achieve political stability which is essential for economic stability. But, the PTI leaders refused any such collaboration—alleging rigging in the elections.

The chief of JUI-F (party) Maulana Fazlur Rehman who had confirmed contacts with the PTI repeatedly stated that he would launch a nationwide movement against the alleged vote rigging, accusing the establishment of it. The Sunni Ittehad Council-the PTI and some parties have also decided to launch movement which has almost started. PML-N and some other parties opine that if elections were rigged or establishment interfered against the PTI as to how independent candidates, mostly loyal to Imran Khan, swept the polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province by winning 91 out of 113 provincial seats, and PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur was elected as the chief minister.

On the one side, PTI workers continue protest-rallies against the rigging in elections, while on the other, PTI has also filed cases in the courts in this respect—also about forms 45 and 47. However, it shows their ambivalent approach. Especially, PTI decided to hold public gatherings and processions in each district and constituencies of the provincial assemblies for the release of the party’s chairman Imran Khan and other incarcerated leaders and workers on the first anniversary of the May 9.

Nonetheless, the importance of the armed forces, this year has been increased, as the Pak forces, have also become target of malevolent campaign, being launched by the anti-Pakistan foreign entities in wake of Indian aggressive designs against the country. So, the government must also give a matching response to the hostile forces which are working against the integrity of the country, and are distorting the image of Pak Army.

During the first anniversary of the May 9 tragedy, the government, the opposition leaders, including all other segments of society must show selfless national unity, particularly with the armed forces, which is very necessary to pull the country out of the ongoing serious crises.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

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